


Prodigal Son

by Phoenixflames12



Category: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Modern Glasgow AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 03:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14276364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixflames12/pseuds/Phoenixflames12
Summary: When his youngest child doesn't come home one evening, Jamie Fraser knows something is amiss





	Prodigal Son

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Modern Glasgow AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169185) by [gotham_ruaidh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotham_ruaidh/pseuds/gotham_ruaidh). 



> This was written when I was in my final months of my undergraduate degree studying Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow a.k.a Neo-Gothic Hogwarts and recently rediscovered. 
> 
> All the thanks go to @gotham_ruaidh for letting me play with her beautiful modern interpretations of these characters.

When William doesn’t come home that evening after chess club, he knows something is amiss.

 

It is a queer feeling, looking out over the streets of the West End in the spare bedroom cum study, over the flickering lights of the university, over the dark expanse of Kelvingrove Park, which he knows that his son knows like the back of his hand and knowing that his son is out there.

 

Out there somewhere, alone.

 

The thought makes his stomach clench, cold sweat erupting like wildfire against the back of his hands.

 

At eleven, William is well aware of the possible dangers of being alone in the city after dark; but lacks the deep, unspoken knowledge of the streets held by both his elder sisters and Fergus. Lacks the knowledge, despite being told countless times by himself and Claire of the best ways to get back to their flat, of the fact that the park was not lit, that if he was lost up in the university he should always, always go to the security guards at the gatehouse…

 

William.

 

Alone.

 

The thought didn’t bear consideration.

 

Alone because Faith and Bree and Julia are all at home, Fergus is spending the night at Marsali’s and Murtagh…

 

Instinctively, he grabs his phone, that is lying on the sill to check if there are any messages left there, but finds none.

 

No voicemails, no messages, nothing to tell him what the hell is going on.

 

_Oh God, William lad, did ye not bring your phone?_

‘Jamie? Love, what’s wrong?’

 

He doesn’t hear Claire’s step pad across the living room, nor does he feel the soothing weight of her hands pressing into his shoulders, fingers softly rubbing through the knotted muscles.

 

‘Jamie?’

 

A deep, shuddering breath pulls through him, the weight of it making him feel as if he is under water.

 

‘It’s..’ The word is a shuddered gasp, his throat firmly closing against the words that he knows he must tell her.

 

‘It’s William, he… he hasna come home yet and..’ He breaks off, unable to tear his gaze from the window.

 

The hands on his shoulders suddenly tighten.

 

‘Are you sure?’ There is a bite to Claire’s voice; a bite of a lioness ready to whatever it took to protect her litter of cubs.

 

He nods, reaching for his phone, marking his jacket hanging on the kitchen door.

 

‘I must go, _mo nigean don._ Kiss the girls for me, aye? Tell them not to worry,’ it had to be said, even if his hands are shaking as he grabs his keys.

 

* * *

 

The walk up Gibson street and onto the campus feels like a marathon.

 

His eyes quickly become accustomed to the dark, scanning, searching, pushing past the usual meander of students winding their way towards the Union; the sound of adolescent laughter grating on his ears.

 

‘William!’

 

As if in another life, he remembers a search like this one.

 

_Remembers the aching bolt of fear lodging itself in his heart, scrambling over the tumbled down stones, feet sipping, catching, hands groping blindly, the fog catching his chest in an throbbing embrace._

‘William!’

 

‘Da?’

 

_What was that? The faintest of questioning calls, so easily lost in the cold night air, but so like his son and yet…_

And then he’s running, taking the steps onto the south front two at a time, charging towards the sound, gasping and scrabbling for his phone, as he flicks the torch on.

 

‘Will...

 

‘Da!’

 

The sudden, bony weight of a body launching itself at him; bony limbs and hands and heartbeat making him stagger back, pulling the child to his knees, drawing him close.

 

‘I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Da… I… I lost my way and I… I couldna…’

 

Each word is gulped out in choking sobs and Jamie wordlessly presses his son to his chest, relishing in the weight of him, the warmth and bony strength that banished the ice cold chill gripping at his heart.

 

William draws back at that, face smudged with tears in the twilight; that tremulous smile that lights his father’s heart twitching at his lips.

 

‘It’s alright’, is the only thing Jamie can think of to say; relief crashing over him in silent waves.

 

_His son is safe._

The smile widens for a moment and then falters, trembling as William blinks hard, fighting back tears.

 

Jamie pulls him closer, one hand reaching up to fondle the crop of unruly curls. Claire’s curls, he thinks.

 

‘I ken… I ken _a bhalaiach…_ Let’s get ye home, aye? Wouldn’t want your mam to worry now, would we?’

 

The smile flickers for a moment as William nods and together they stand in silence, watching the moon slowly slip out from behind a cloud, shadowed against the south tower.

 

* * *

 

_**Fin** _

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to read and review! Comments, suggestions, constructive criticisms etc are like chocolate to my brain!
> 
> Much love and enjoy x


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